Aer Lingus will close its Manchester Airport base by the end of March, fully exiting transatlantic operations from the UK airport less than five years after launching the venture.
The Irish flag carrier has informed staff and their representatives that long-haul flying from Manchester will cease by March 31, with a phased reduction in services beginning in mid-February. The Manchester-New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) route will end first, with its final flight scheduled for Feb. 23. Services to Barbados and Orlando, Florida, will also be withdrawn as part of the closure.
The Manchester operation, run by Aer Lingus’ UK subsidiary Aer Lingus UK, was opened in 2021 as part of the airline’s strategy to expand point-to-point transatlantic flying.
In a statement, Aer Lingus said consultations with employee representatives are continuing and have entered a phase focused on managing the consequences of the closure, including potential redundancies. “Aer Lingus acknowledges that this is a very difficult time for colleagues based in Manchester and will seek to ensure that colleagues are kept informed and supported as discussions evolve during the next phase of the consultation,” the airline said.
The carrier added it is engaging with staff on redeployment opportunities within Aer Lingus or its parent group International Airlines Group, as well as the terms of a severance package for affected employees at Manchester.
Aer Lingus said that it has taken steps to minimize customer disruption. Passengers booked on affected transatlantic services are being contacted directly and offered refunds or reaccommodation options. Subject to regulatory approvals, the airline plans to operate a temporary Dublin-Barbados service during April and May to help reaccommodate customers originally booked to travel from Manchester.
Short-haul operations between Manchester and Ireland are not affected. Aer Lingus confirmed there is no effect on flights operated by Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional, which is run by Emerald Airlines.
The Manchester base launched with Airbus A330 flights to Barbados in October 2021, followed by New York JFK operated with A321neo aircraft, and Orlando using A330s. The carrier suspended sales of transatlantic flights from the base earlier in January.
The closure follows months of industrial tension at the base. Cabin crew working on the Manchester long-haul routes have been involved in a pay dispute since October 2025 and staged several days of strike action. In November, trade union Unite said the airline had issued redundancy notices to staff.
However, the Aer Lingus decision was announced the same day Air Canada confirmed plans to grow its presence at Manchester Airport. The Canadian flag carrier will make its Toronto-Manchester route year-round from October 2026, having previously operated the service on a summer-seasonal basis using Boeing 787-8 and Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
Air Canada said the shift reflects sustained demand and will be supported by the introduction of A321XLR aircraft as part of a new narrowbody long-haul base at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
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